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Thursday, March 14, 2019

Renovations & New Life

You
were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self,
which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the
attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in
true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians
4:22-24 (NIV)

My
husband was recently baptized – the full immersion experience. With powerful
symbolism, the believer dies to his old self through submersion and rises from
water into a new life in Christ. His baptism prompted thoughts about this new
life.

In
Ephesians, Paul encourages us to embrace our new life in Christ by changing our
attitudes about ourselves, ‘to be made new’ by seeing ourselves as God sees us
– beloved, freed and forgiven by Jesus, never separated from God, filled with
His spirit and power and strength, and many other promises. These attitudes
don’t appear instantaneously as one rises from the baptismal water. Viewing
ourselves this way can be a process.

The
phrase ‘to be made new’ literally means to renovate. Have you ever renovated a
room in your home? If so, you know it’s a process. You also know that
demolition comes first and often spreads its mess to adjacent spaces. Slowly the
desired result emerges.

Likewise,
renovating the attitudes we have about ourselves requires some demolition. We
need to remove the lies that we’re unlovable or unforgivable or not good enough.
The ‘new self, created to be like God’ cannot emerge amid these attitudes.

Put off your old self & be made new. See yourself as God sees you. (tweet this)

What negative thought do you have about yourself?

Does it belong to the ‘old self’ that should be left
behind?

Would God call it a lie and replace it with a
promise?

#SeedsofScripture #anewcreation #bemadenew
#renovation

Exciting news!
I’ve been renovating my website and a new space will emerge soon.